Athletic or other activewear shoes of a conventional construction generally have three or four separate parts. First, such shoes are provided with an outsole that is made of a durable material and that extends across the lower surface of the shoe. The outsole provides traction, protection, and a durable wear surface. A midsole is joined to the outsole to provide a cushioning layer to the wearer's foot. An insole is disposed between the midsole and the wearer's foot for additional cushioning. Usually, an upper formed of leather, synthetics, or other materials is joined to the midsole. The upper is designed to snugly and comfortably enclose the foot.
Conventional footwear designs provide decorations, embossed figures, and the like on the outer surface of the shoe soles. Such designs are generally worn off or degraded quickly after use of the footwear. Other footwear constructions utilize the insertion of an inset figure in a recessed area of the sole. While such figures maybe inset so as to be substantially flush with the walking surface of the sole, the figure design often wears off due to pressure of the foot against the shoe and walking or running surface. Also, the design can be obscured by mud and dirt. Other shoe constructions involve embedding plugs in recesses in the outsole of the shoe. Such plugs function to provide reduce skidding, for example, in an infant's shoe, or to promote sliding, such as in a bowling shoe. These plugs, however, provide little or no decorative effect.
Other conventional footwear soles provide an insert for a decorative effect. In such designs, a transparent or translucent window in an outsole allows viewing of the unique design aspects of an insert within the outsole of the shoe. For example, one footwear sole construction provides a decorative insert mounted within a single outer surface ply of the outsole protected by a clear plastic element. In another construction, a footwear sole includes two attached layers. The first layer has an integral display element and is at least semi-transparent such that the display element is observable through the first layer. Yet another design includes an outsole upper surface extending peripherally about the outsole having an aperture in the outsole upper surface. A display article is disposed within the aperture and is observable through a transparent outsole bottom surface.
Another shoe sole design has an outsole and a cushioning insert visible through a transparent window located in the sidewall of the sole. The window opening weakens the sidewall and can adversely affect the durability and resiliency of the sole. In another arrangement, a transparent window is recessed into the outsole to prevent scuffing or abrasion which could obscure the view through the window. However, the recessed window has the disadvantage of reducing the wear surface of the sole.
In yet another design, a transparent or translucent cleated insert is mounted within an outsole aperture to provide a cleated window forming a portion of the outsole wear surface. A cushioning insert is mounted on top of the cleated window within a pocket in the upper portion of the outsole, such that the inserts are visible through the window so that the wearer can better appreciate the shoe construction and its function. Another disadvantage of conventional decorative shoe sole inserts is that such inserts are mounted in or are integral with the outsole of the shoe and are not easily interchangeable. Moreover, shoe sole display inserts are often provided for their novelty or entertainment value, while purchasers of shoes also seek performance value in terms of both proper support of the shoes and durability.
A conventional athletic shoe includes a transparent or translucent sole having a bore extending at least half the length of the sole and a tubular light source inserted into the bore. While this type of athletic shoe design allows for display of a light source which may be interchangeable, the shoe does not provide for display of logo indicia or coordinating team colors through the bottom of an outsole.
Thus, there is a need to provide footwear having a display element viewable through the outsole such that the display element is easily interchangeable. There is a need to provide such footwear that have display elements that have a decorative effect, that provide good support to a wearer, and that are not susceptible to increased wear and tear. There is a need for such footwear in which indicia and colors of a sports team can be viewed through defined portions of the outsole of a shoe.